I think most people can agree that classic animated movies are much better than the movies today. There is something about that classic, nostalgic feeling you get when going back and watching these movies. Classic movies have been a part of many childhoods and are known around the world. Watching the new animated movies has definitely not been the same as that nostalgic feeling you get from these movies released in the 1900’s.

In the 20th century the main way to create animated films was through 2D animation. During this time it dominated the film industry. There are many movies that were released such as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. The classic 2D animation required lots of creativity and craftsmanship. It also had the ability to invoke emotion. It provided a sense of warmth and personality that some CGI lacks. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a great example of classical animation. It was the first full-length movie that was animated and was hand drawn. It utilized techniques that captured audiences attention and created a compelling story. It was a big success and earned eight million dollars in the first year which was more than any film had ever been created. It sparked the animation industry and paved the way for more animation to be created.

Now let’s compare old animations to new CGI animations. Not all modern CGI movies are bad. For example, Frozen did extremely well. Many people enjoyed this movie because it was very creative and it was considered one of the best films since 2D animation. It earned $1.28 billion at the box office and it was one of the highest-grossing animated films ever. The movies that replicate the animation skills from the 20th century are popular and favored, with some exceptions of movies with CGI that have succeeded. The Princess and the Frog, which came out in 2009, brought back the old time feeling by using hand-drawn animation. It was very successful and it made $271 million in the box office. Although there are many good movies that have been produced using CGI and 3D animation, there is still a different feeling that you get when watching movies that have hand-drawn characters and 2D animation.

To gain more insight, The Weekly Warrior interviewed Anthony Nagatsuka, a teacher at Heritage Christian and a former 2D animator. When asking him to compare 2D animation vs. CGI animation, this was what he told us. “ I have come to love both genres of animated movie making.  As much as I love 2D animated movies I do love 3D movies as well.  I think Pixar is the best at making 3D animated movies of course but that is mostly because they make movies with great stories.  They have mastered the art of story telling first and then use technology to make their movies.”

He also tells us about which one he prefers. “I don’t think one genre is necessarily more creative than the other.  Both mediums can be extremely creative in my opinion.  Both genres can also create horrible movies.  What has become a very popular look and style these days is the blending of both 3D and 2D techniques. Spider-verse for example uses a lot of 2D animation combined with 3D animation.  This was a brilliant and creative endeavor on behalf of the creators.  This style is now used abundantly in the Animation industry today. One thing though is that both 2D and 3D animated movies start off by using traditional (hand drawings) methods in the early stages of development such as in Storyboarding, Visual Development and Character Design.  So these movies do start out using traditional methods which is great.”

He continues on by saying how both 2D animation and 3D animation can be very good when combined. “I think the Animation industry is doing a great job currently at trying to retain the charm of 2D Animation which hasn’t always been the case.  One of the most successful and beautiful recent 2D animated movies is Klaus. Although this movie was mostly hand drawn, it still used a ton of 3D animation.  So essentially a blend. I personally believe that both genres can be great but the most important factor is the art of storytelling.  Any great movie starts out with a great story.”

Classic, hand-drawn characters from movies were very creative and childlike which made for a nostalgic feeling when watching the films. Not all newly animated films do badly or are not successful and because day by day technology advances, hand-drawn and 2D animation will no longer be needed. Therefore, these classics should still be taken into consideration and talked about because of the skills and talents used to create each and every character from the heart of the animator.